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Preparing for an emergency - Sussex Resilience Forum

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News releases

Sussex Resilience Forum thanks volunteers for their hard work

To celebrate Volunteers’ Week, 1 – 7 June, the Sussex Resilience Forum (SRF) is shining a light on the stories of Sussex volunteers who have supported their communities in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

From the start of the pandemic, volunteers have provided services at all levels, from delivering vital PPE supplies to protect the frontline, to making welfare calls and food drops to support individuals within communities.

The SRF is the multi-agency operation through which the work of local authorities and emergency services co-ordinate the response across public services, also working closely with health services and the military and linking with central government.

The Volunteer Work stream triages requests for support from these and also other voluntary, community & social enterprise organisations, and Volunteers’ Week is a chance to celebrate volunteers supporting directly and also those less formal voluntary efforts, where people have selflessly given their time and efforts to help others.

Neil Stocker, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, SRF Co-Chair, said: “I have been so impressed by the scale of ingenuity, enthusiasm and sheer persistent hard work which has gone into the efforts of volunteers to help and protect the people of Sussex.

“The scale of the efforts, ranging from rescue charities driving thousands of miles to deliver PPE and essential equipment, to individuals who’ve taken up responsibility for looking after people in their local communities, and those volunteering to use their specialist skills within the SRF, has been astounding. I thank each and every one of them for their efforts.

“As we turn our minds increasingly to planning how to support our communities as they consider the next tentative steps towards recovery, I know that volunteers will remain an essential part of this effort.”

Organisations and individuals involved in supporting the SRF’s response include:

Team Rubicon UK

Sussex 4x4 Response

Sussex 4x4 Assist

Chartwells

Red Cross

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service

West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service

Haywards Heath Mutual Aid

In addition, throughout Volunteers’ Week, the SRF agencies will be sharing stories of localised examples of voluntary work to support communities. Please visit @SussexRF on Twitter and Sussex Resilience Forum on Facebook to see these throughout the week.

Be Coast and Country Aware- Stay safe and safeguard our emergency services

Sussex Resilience Forum (SRF) is reminding members of the public to stay safe when visiting the county’s coastal sites and open areas.

Following government changes to Covid-19 restrictions, members of the public are able to exercise freely and travel any distance to reach outdoor areas for the purpose of exercise or recreation, whilst complying with social distancing regulations.

An increase in visitors to coastal areas and national parks in Sussex is therefore expected as the warm weather continues, and SRF partners are urging all to stay safe, safeguarding themselves and the county’s emergency services.

Marc Clothier, T/Superintendent, Sussex Police and SRF Tactical Chair said: “It’s really important that while people are enjoying the warmer weather and spending time outside, that they take simple steps to stay safe.

“Many beaches do not have lifeguard services in place and not all public facilities have reopened due to Coronavirus restrictions, so we need people to make responsible decisions about their journeys and destinations, so that social distancing can be maintained.

“Taking these measures will mean we can all play our part in keeping safe and protecting our emergency services whilst enjoying the county.”

Claire Hughes, director of HM Coastguard said: “Now, more than ever, people need to respect the sea and the coast. Whether you’re local or not, whatever your ability or experience in your chosen sport or leisure activity, the sea can still catch you out and be unmerciful when it does.

“The majority of beaches will not be lifeguarded. If you get into trouble call 999 and ask for the Coastguard and we will come to your aid. But coronavirus hasn’t gone away and we all need to follow the rules. Remember your choices might put people, including yourself and frontline responders, at risk. Take extra care in these extraordinary times.”

SRF and its partner agencies will be issuing safety messages across their websites and social media platforms over the coming weeks.

Communities are also reminded to continue to take note of national updates around restrictions which are subject to constant review.

Current Government advice is that you must continue to stay 2m away from anyone not in your immediate household and that public transport should be avoided for all but essential journeys.

For the most up to date government advice on Coronavirus restrictions, visit www.gov.uk

Sussex Resilience Forum shines a light on Sussex support services as part of Mental Health Awareness Week

Sussex Resilience Forum (SRF), a multi-agency partnership which includes all emergency services, local authorities and other agencies, is highlighting the range of services available in Sussex to support positive mental health, as part of national Mental Health Awareness Week.

Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, the annual week aims to raise awareness and understanding of the many issues that impact on mental health, whilst promoting ways to protect and encourage positive mental wellbeing.

The SRF is co-ordinating the local response to Covid-19, and a range of work is underway to provide help and support for anyone impacted by lockdown restrictions.

Throughout the week, the SRF will shine a light on the work of partners, the services available to help people who may be vulnerable, and the achievements of volunteers who have given up their time to support the mental wellbeing of others during the Coronavirus outbreak.

Chair of the SRF, Assistant Chief Constable Dave Miller explains, “We’re aware of the strain that the weeks of restrictions in place have had on people across Sussex and the potential impact on mental health.

“Sussex has a range of fantastic support services available and this week is an opportunity to promote advice and good practice on ways to protect your own mental wellbeing and resilience in these difficult times.”

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has expanded the Sussex Mental Healthline, available on 0300 5000 101 - to provide a 24/7 service to people needing urgent help with their mental health.

As well as crisis support it will provide psychological support to people who have general concerns about their mental health.

Information will be shared throughout the week via the SRF Facebook and Twitter channels, follow @SussexResilienceForum and #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

“Whilst we await further detail surrounding the modification to lockdown measures, we continue to urge communities to observe and comply with the social distancing regulations in place to do all we can to keep people safe.

“SRF partner agencies continue to work together to prevent the spread of the virus, save lives and protect Sussex communities. Please continue to check our website and social media channels for the most up to date information and guidance for Sussex, along with Gov.UK for further national updates.”

Sussex public services are delighted to have received a large donation of hand sanitiser from healthcare companies GSK and Diversey to help protect essential workers in the fight against covid-19.

Global brand GSK, which has a branch in Worthing, West Sussex, contacted the Sussex Resilience Forum (SRF) with the offer of supplies in April.

GSK Worthing has traded IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) - which has been in short supply during lockdown - for hand sanitiser manufactured by Diversey. Diversey have supplied their proprietary sanitiser to GSK sites, some of which has been donated to SRF.

The SRF co-ordinates the Sussex-wide response from emergency services, local authorities and other agencies linking in with health services and Government.

It is the mechanism through which stocks of hand sanitiser and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for Sussex frontline workers including care staff, firefighters, social workers and those working for voluntary organisations are being co-ordinated to enhance the supplies from central Government.

This month, the logistics work stream within the SRF has taken several deliveries of PPE which have been distributed throughout the county to protect keyworkers.

Marc Clothier, T/Superintendent, Sussex Police and SRF Tactical Chair, said: “This is a fantastic example of how businesses, organisations and the public of Sussex have really come together in the face of covid-19.

“There’s no question that this donation will help front-line workers in doing what they do best: protecting and supporting the people of Sussex.

“Thank you so much to the teams at GSK, Diversey and also to all of those businesses and individuals who’ve helped us by supplying PPE items since this crisis began.”

Simon Foster, Site Director at GSK Worthing said: “We are incredibly proud to be able to make this donation of hand sanitiser to help support the many brilliant staff across Sussex who are at the forefront of this fight against COVID-19. The supply for this donation is the result of a fantastic collaboration by our site team, our suppliers and the team at Sussex Resilience Forum, and I am delighted that this much needed commodity can be put to excellent use, benefitting our local community.”

An open letter to the people of Sussex from public service workers makes an emotional plea

Sussex’s NHS, care providers, councils, police, fire and ambulance services are making an impassioned plea to the public to continue to stay at home to stop the spread of Covid-19.

In an open letter to the public, public services across Sussex urge local communities to stick with Government advice.

With the warm weather expected to remain into the weekend, and as the fifth week of lockdown draws to a close, Sussex Local Resilience Forum organisations are turning to the public to play their part in combatting the pandemic.

It goes on to outline the efforts of key workers right across Sussex including ‘doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals…working around the clock to save lives’ and whose ‘families worry about them too’.

The letter has been endorsed by leaders from key public services around the county including the Council Leaders of the three local authorities, the Chief Constable and Police and Crime Commissioner, Chief Fire Officers, the Chief Executive of the South East Coast Ambulance Service and the NHS Covid-19 leader for Sussex.

These public agencies and others across Sussex are working together and with the military, private and voluntary sectors, as part of the Sussex LRF to combine and co-ordinate efforts to help protect the public.

The letter will be supported with this video, featuring personal pleas from doctors, nurses, social workers, paramedics, firefighters other frontline workers tasked with the job of keeping Sussex safe during the pandemic, asking people to work with them as #SussexTogether.

The letter reads:

To our local communities,

As another warm weekend approaches, we need your help.

Please, stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.

Across Sussex, all of our organisations are working hard to keep you safe and well and make sure you get the essential services you need.

We are your NHS, your care providers, your councils, your police, fire and ambulance services, working together with the military, private and voluntary services to protect you and prevent deaths in our county from Covid-19.

Our staff are working hard to prevent the spread of the virus. Our nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals are working around the clock to save lives.

Our key workers are putting themselves forward every day to ensure people can be cared for, children educated and looked after, and communities given access to the things they need.

We thank you for all that you are doing to support us.

The most important thing you can do is to continue following the social distancing rules.

Thank you for helping to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in Sussex.

Together, we will get through this.

Stay home, protect the NHS, save lives.

#SussexTogether

Thank you.

ACC Dave Miller

Sussex Resilience Forum Chair

Endorsed by:

Council Leader Cllr Nancy Platts, Brighton and Hove City Council

Council Leader Keith Glazier, East Sussex County Council

Paul Marshall, Leader of West Sussex County Council including West Sussex Fire and Rescue and Service

Thank you to the public, businesses and volunteers for your support in the ongoing PPE appeal

Huge thanks has been paid to members of the public, businesses and volunteers who have supported Sussex keyworkers in accessing essential personal protective equipment (PPE) to tackle Covid-19.

The Sussex Resilience Forum (SRF) is responsible for coordinating the response to Covid-19 alongside emergency services, local authorities, health and other agencies.

The SRF is sourcing supplies of PPE and providing an essential link to central Government, monitoring remaining stocks in Sussex for colleagues such as care and social workers, firefighters and volunteers, until additional national supplies are in place.

Following a county-wide appeal, members of the public and businesses have come forward with their spare items which are not being used during lockdown.

A network of volunteers has provided vital support by collecting essential PPE from sites across Sussex, before these items are checked and redistributed for use.

This is just one of the ways in which volunteers have supported the SRF in protecting the ongoing safety of the Sussex public, with other volunteer-led services co-ordinated through the SRF including community hubs (details above), packing and delivering food parcels to shielded residents and providing support to those most vulnerable in the community.

The workstream responsible for managing logistics, comprising staff from Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire and Rescue, and the Military amongst others working side by side, has also taken a number of one-off deliveries of PPE, which have been distributed to health and social care locations across Sussex such as care homes and voluntary services.

“There are so many ways in which communities are supporting this effort. Heroic volunteers are bringing their time, expertise and resources to enabling the essential work of key workers and helping the most vulnerable. Agencies across the SRF have mobilised to enable this effort alongside their existing workload, keeping vital public services running. We also really appreciate the support of the wider public, through alerting us to their PPE via this appeal and responding to the public health pleas to stay at home.

“We continue our appeal to businesses, the public and organisations to get in contact if they have remaining supplies of PPE which could help us in the face of Covid-19.

Public service organisations continue their plea to businesses and the public to get in touch if they can supply vital PPE to protect frontline workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Following a county-wide appeal, the Sussex Resilience Forum (SRF) has been contacted by businesses and individuals from a wide range of sectors, from nursery schools through to pharmaceutical suppliers, offering to manufacture or donate unused supplies.

The SRF co-ordinates the response, resilience and recovery plans for all emergency services and local authorities, also drawing on resources such as the military, with direct links into Government. Plans are closely aligned with NHS teams, who report through a regional mechanism to the Department for Health (DFH).

The multi-agency group is sourcing kit to fill in the gaps until national supply chains of protective equipment, such as gloves, face masks and gowns, are in place.

Since a major incident was declared in Sussex on 20 March in response to Covid-19, the SRF has already ensured that care homes and other health settings have had supplies via deliveries across the county, working closely with local authorities.

“My personal thanks to every single person who’s been in touch with offers of PPE. It is incredible that we have this support from the public as the SRF pulls out all the stops to get protective kit to those who need it most.

“There are almost 3,500 care settings in Sussex and the SRF has co-ordinated the distribution of over 250,000 items of PPE so far this month, with more deliveries due imminently.

“But we know that we need more protective masks, gloves, aprons and sanitising gel to keep sufficient supplies.

“As this public health emergency unfolds, we are working hard to ensure that we can get the data on where supplies are most needed, and also to make sure that everyone is using the most up to date guidance.

“From all agencies, our thanks to all of the heroic front line workers in the health, social care and emergency services working day and night to keep the public safe.”

Delivery and collection can be arranged. All items need to conform to the safety standards highlighted above.

Three temporary mortuary sites announced today for Sussex

Three temporary mortuaries are to be installed in Sussex in the coming days to ensure those who die in the Covid-19 pandemic are treated with dignity and respect.

Supplied by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, four temporary units providing 300 spaces will be arriving tomorrow on the grounds of the University of Sussex in Falmer.

This is in addition to storage facilities currently on site which are managed by Brighton & Sussex Medical School meaning capacity will increase to 430.

More units procured by the Sussex Resilience Forum (SRF) will arrive at Falmer next week to be used if needed.

The units will be discreetly situated in a space on the grounds and will be shielded from public sight as much as possible to ensure privacy and reduce distress.

The SRF has been coordinating the death management plans working with skilled and experienced coroners, mortuary teams, police, NHS partners, funeral directors and council staff across East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton and Hove.

Speaking about the work being undertaken, Dave Miller Chair of the Sussex Resilience Forum said he understood today’s announcement would be upsetting but that it was crucial that statutory duties continued to be fulfilled during this period and that reassurance was given to bereaved families, providers of funeral services and partners in the NHS of our capacity to do so.

He said:

"I know this is something we don’t want to think about, but like every LRF area in the country, we are dealing with the effects of coronavirus and part of that is to make provision for additional mortuary capacity, we continue to hope for the best, but plan for the worst which we know the public would expect us to do.

“Whilst the picture for the worst case scenario changes on a daily basis and will also be determined in part by the success of the lockdown measures in Sussex, we are expecting to deal with a rise in the number of deaths during the peak period that will take us beyond existing resource for this time of year.

“We are therefore putting measures and resources in place urgently to ensure all deaths during this period are dealt with respect and dignity and in accordance with appropriate public health requirements.”

Units for an additional 230 spaces at Worthing Hospital and 290 at St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester are expected to arrive early next week.

There are no current issues with any of the county’s mortuary capacities.

Does your business have stocks of PPE which could help in the fight against Covid-19?

Sussex Resilience Forum (SRF), which brings together public service agencies in responding to Covid-19, is appealing to businesses for vital personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies to help protect frontline workers delivering essential services to Sussex residents during Covid-19.

As the nation faces unprecedented demand for PPE, there is a very limited supply coming into the county for social workers, care home staff, firefighters and volunteers, with the NHS understandably being prioritised.

Dave Miller, Assistant Chief Constable, Sussex Police, and Chair of the Sussex Resilience Forum said: “If your business or organisation has these vital supplies to protect frontline workers, we urge you to contact us. We are short of items such as masks, hand sanitiser and gloves which are fundamental for the good care of individuals with suspected symptoms of Covid-19.

“We are hoping that all types of businesses and organisations from high street beauty salons through to academic institutions that use these products daily can help us by offering stocks whilst they are closed. If you have any items from the specific list below, we would be very grateful for donations as soon as possible. We also ask that any suppliers that can manufacture PPE contact us urgently.

“In addition, we’ve had a fantastic response to our appeals for volunteers to support the SRF’s response to Covid-19, and will be contacting them in due course to support this and other pieces of work to help Sussex communities.”

Delivery and collection can be arranged. All items need to conform to the safety standards highlighted above.

Public services across Sussex join forces in “mammoth effort” to respond to Covid-19 pandemic

In an unprecedented effort, public services across Sussex are coming together to protect and support the communities of Sussex in the face of Covid-19.

Sussex Resilience Forum (SRF), a multi-agency partnership which includes all emergency services, local authorities and other agencies, is working closely with the military and NHS to co-ordinate the local response to Covid-19 on behalf of the Government.

Drawing on well-rehearsed plans, staff from across the public sector are working side-by-side to ensure that services are being delivered in the best interests of the public, with special attention given to the most vulnerable in communities.

Key areas of focus through the crisis so far have included co-ordinating the work of volunteers, gaining additional supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) and ensuring Sussex’s most vulnerable have the help they need.

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic in Sussex has been declared a major incident by the body representing the county’s public and emergency services.Sussex Local Resilience Forum (Sussex LRF) is made up of multiple-agencies who work together to plan and prepare for localised incidents and catastrophic emergencies.

Summary

COVID-19 is an unprecedented public health emergency and we are all having to move at an incredibly fast pace.

The county’s public and emergency services are working together to support vital services, protect the most vulnerable and mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on our communities and businesses.

Our number one priority is preventing death and the protection of public health in Sussex. We must all play our part in the national effort to combat this disease.

The Sussex Resilience Forum (SRF) has long-established plans to prepare and respond to a pandemic and the Strategic Co-ordinating Group is now meeting daily to coordinate response, resilience and recovery plans for Sussex.

We urge everyone in Sussex to follow Government advice and seek information from trusted sources – your local authority websites or your local news media.

The SRF’s multi-agency executive group, known as the Strategic Co-coordinating Group (SCG), is meeting daily by teleconference to coordinate services and ensure liaison with Government. The meeting is chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Dave Miller from Sussex Police.

The SCG directs a multi-agency Tactical Co-coordinating Group (TCG) which meets twice weekly and is responsible for the co-ordination of services and plans on the ground.

Eight thematic working groups are currently coordinated by and report to the TCG and these are:

Communications

Logistics and Supply Chain

Vulnerable People and Wellbeing

Volunteers

Excess Deaths and Mortality

Recovery

Escalation Cell (health)

Field Hospital

These are well established multi-agency plans and structures which are tested on a regular basis to ensure all services work together, in the most effective way, to protect and support local communities and speed up recovery.

From 31 March onwards local authorities will be launching a network of digital community hubs – putting people who need help in touch with support. Look out for details online or in the local news media.

Community hubs have begun operating across Sussex to bring extra help for people who need support in coping with the effects of coronavirus. The hubs provide online forms and phone lines which anyone can contact to seek help if they are isolated, anxious or unwell at home and do not have family or friends they can call on.

If you test positive for Coronavirus, you will be asked for details of your recent interactions. More details on the NHS Track and Trace Scheme can be found here.

Testing is available for all NHS staff and other essential key workers in Sussex, or members of their household, with symptoms of Covid-19. Tests are only available in the first few days after symptoms begin because that is when they are most accurate. Test are only available with a pre-booked appointment.

Tests can either be obtained via self-referral or by referral via your employer.

A comprehensive guidance document on supporting employers and businesses with regards to Test and Trace can be found here.

Household waste sites in West Sussex will be open from 11 May 2020, and East Sussex and Brighton & Hove will be open from 18 May 2020 with limited services available and social distancing in place. Residents are urged to only visit if absolutely necessary and expect delays as demand is expected to be extremely high initially.

You can tell Sussex Police about a possible breach of coronavirus measures on our reporting form.

Volunteers have been essential in supporting Sussex communities since the response to the pandemic began, supporting everything from food and medicine deliveries to completing welfare checks for vulnerable people. If you would like to volunteer your time to help, please visit your local council website where you will find details from the homepage.

There is still help and support available for all victims of crime during the Covid-19 crisis.

Safe Space Sussex has been equipped with a new search tool so that within 10 seconds, victims of any crime can find the service they need. It also has a ‘leave site now’ button that users can press to quickly exit the site.

You can also covertly let Sussex Police know if you are in danger. If you’re too scared to speak, dial 999 and press ‘55’ on your mobile phone to let the call handler know.

These are very challenging times for us all and while the government’s advice to stay home is sensible and will save lives, it is important to recognise that for some people home is not a safe place. Help and support is still available.

If you're a victim of domestic abuse, or know someone who is, call Sussex Police for help on 101, or 999 in an emergency and they will respond. If safer, contact them online.

If you are unable to speak after dialling 999 because the perpetrator is nearby, you can use the Silent Solutions automated service on a mobile phone. If there is no response, you will be directed to press “5 5” if you need help and we will do our best to communicate with you using yes/no questions.

Specialist local and national organisations are working hard to ensure they can still support you online and over the phone. You can find these on the Safe Space Sussex website.

The Sussex Mental Healthline - 0300 5000 101 - provides a 24/7 service to people needing urgent help with their mental health.

As well as crisis support it will provide psychological support to people who have general concerns about their mental health.

We have received a number of reports of fraudulent cold callers attempting to sell face masks to Sussex residents.

Now, more than ever, we want to remind you to:

Check people are who they say they are when they phone you.

Never send money or financial details to anyone who you don’t know or don’t trust.

The Sussex Resilience Forum (SRF) is a multi-agency partnership whose members have statutory responsibilities under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, to work together to prepare, respond to and recover from emergencies and major incidents.

A major incident is a widely used term recognised nationally and locally within the SRF and is defined as:

“An event or situation with a range of serious consequences which requires special arrangements to be implemented by one or more emergency responder agency”

The Sussex Resilience Forum consists of members from the Emergency Services, National Health Service / Public Health England, Local Authorities, Environment Agency and Military and other government representatives, with comprehensive support from the Voluntary Sector coming together with the principle aim of ‘Making Sussex a Safer Place’

The SRF Executive Committee meets tri-annually to discuss SRF activities and set the strategic direction.

Preparing for emergencies is part of the day-to-day job. This involves:

Risk assessments to assess the type of hazards that might affect Sussex.

Preparing plans to address different types of emergencies.

Training and exercises to test the plans and keep staff up to date.

Plans are written and exercised in order to provide an effective and timely multi-agency response from SRF members and other organisations.

The Civil Contingencies Act (2004) places a legal duty on the wide range of responders to carry out risk assessments and maintain them in a Community Risk Register.

The assessment of the risks in Community Risk Register is the first step in the emergency planning process; it ensures that planning and other work is carried out in proportion to the risk.

A risk register for Sussex has been published which highlights potential hazards in our area. It does not assess every single risk, instead focusing on those that are most likely to happen and the impact these would have across the county.

Following the recent publication of the new National Risk Assessment the Sussex Resilience Forum Risk and Horizon Scanning Working Group is reviewing and updating the Community Risk Register.

This has detailed information which aims to help you think about what you can do to be better prepared for emergencies which could affect your homes, communities and businesses. It includes information on our top risks.

There are important differences among potential emergencies that will affect the decisions you make and the actions you take.

In an emergency, if you are not involved in the incident, but are close by or believe you may be in danger, the best advice is to go inside a safe building (close windows, turn off any air-conditioning or ventilation equipment), stay inside until you are advised to do otherwise, and tune in to local radio or TV for information.

Make sure 999 has been called if people are injured or if there is a threat to life.

Do not put yourself or others in danger.

Follow the advice of the emergency services.

Try to remain calm and think before acting.

Try to reassure others.

Emergency responders may not immediately be able to provide information on what is happening and what you should do. However, you should watch TV, listen to the radio or check the internet often for official news and instructions as they become available.

Your home

Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as making an emergency kit and developing a family emergency plan, are the same for both a natural or man-made emergency.

Businesses can be affected by a whole number of issues including loss of utilities, loss of IT systems and extreme weather. The Business Continuity ToolkitExternal Link could help you recover from a crisis.

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